Matthew Schrier is from Deer Park, New York, and a graduate of Hofstra University, where he studied film production and English. In 2013, he became the first Westerner to ever escape from Al Qaeda. His story has been covered by 60 Minutes, the New York Times, and CNN, and since his return home, Matthew has devoted himself to working with the US Military, using his experience in Syria to educate American troops about survival after capture by extremists. The Dawn Prayer is his first book.